The invention relates generally to pyroelectric detectors and more specifically concerns pyroelectric detector arrays fabricated in a manner compatible with silicon device technology.
When constructing a pyroelectric detector array on a substrate it is desirable to mount the pyroelectric detector elements so that they are as close to "free hanging" as possible. This minimizes thermal conductance between the elements and the substrate thereby improving responsivity. Previously, pyroelectric detector arrays have been produced by cementing a pyroelectric chip to a ceramic substrate and wire bonding the individual detector elements to the load resistors and to FET's which are also cemented to the ceramic substrate. This method requires a minimum of three wire bonds per element.
The disadvantages of previous pyroelectric detector arrays are that they require several wire bonds per element, and they are cemented to the substrate creating thermal contact over one entire side thereby decreasing responsivity.
It is therefore the primary object of this invention to make the pyroelectric detector elements in an array as close to "free hanging" as possible in order to minimize thermal conductance thereby, improving the responsivity of the detector elements.
It is another object of this invention to provide pyroelectric detector arrays which do not require several wire bonds per element.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent hereinafter in the specification and drawings.